Top 6 Tips On How To Grow Your Instagram

By Michael Jacobsen (Digital Marketing Expert from Toronto)

Instagram is becoming one of the key ways that businesses are getting their messages across in a visual way. If your business is a very visual based one, then Instagram is for you. Here are 5 tips on how to grow your Instagram account.

1. Be unique

Instagram is all about capturing interesting and unique moments. Unless your Kim Kardashian, you are not going to get alot of likes on a simple selfie. Find something that makes your business unique and try to capture it. If you are a cupcake artist, then perhaps showing a new design would be the best scenario to bring in new likes and follows.

2. Be artistic

You don’t need to be a pro photographer to take a good picture nowadays. Try using interesting angles and colors to really make your photos stand out. People like interesting photos and when people are scrolling down, you need something to catch their attention.

3. Build around a theme

Don’t build an account in which you have too many photos of different things. Build a theme for your account. So if you are a sports company, just show images of sporting events. It sounds simple but in order to build an audience for something, you need to find something that people are interested in and keep it.

4. Use Location

The cool thing about Instagram is that you can tag the location of that photo for others to see. This helps you gain followers because usually locals love to like their local content. Make sure as well to reach out to these communities official IG pages.

5. Reach Out to Influencers

If there are other people doing the same type of things as you, don’t be scared to repost or quote their Instagram posting. Do it in a respectable manner. People love when their content is re-posted and that they get credit for it. They will probably personally thank you. This will help with your brand awareness.

6. Use the right hashtags

There are tons of hashtags on Instagram. Some work better than others. Make sure to do your research and see what is the most popular hashtags for your photo. You can use as many hashtags as you like. Just make sure to find out what is out there for your business.

• Michael Jacobsen is a Digital Marketing Expert from Toronto. For more information or questions that you may have about this blog or Digital Marketing, please contact Michael at michaelbjacobsen@yahoo.com or on Twitter @marketing_mbj. 

 

TRUMP Your Marketing: Five Best Marketing Tips from Donald Trump

By Michael Jacobsen ( Digital Marketing Expert from Toronto)

Donald Trump, today, will be given the most powerful seat in the world. He will become the 45th President of the United States of America. Which is why on this historic occassion, we have researched and read most of his books about his business and his life. These books range from his entire business career. We have decided to bring you the top 5 tips, from these books, about how Trump likes to market his businesses and himself.

1. “Be Curious” from Think Like A Billionaire (2004)

Donald Trump tells us all that in order to think like a Billionaire, one must always be curious. Never be satisfied and always be wondering why. Trump expects perfection and so should you. You have an image to maintain. Always wonder if this is the best you can do.Never settle. Keep pushing yourself until you are sure that your marketing will work and that everything is set. Try to do things new ways and learn. Great advice for being more of a creative marketer.

2.” When You Are On The Podium, You are the entertainer” from TRUMP , How To Get Rich (2004)

Trump knows how to be the center of attention and how to keep it. Your brand should also do the same thing. It should be entertaining and people should be entertained from it. Give the people something for their attention. Their time is valuable which is why your brand needs to give them something. Don’t waste the audience’s time.

3. “ If you are going to be thinking, might as well be thinking big”from Think Big and Kick Ass in Business and Life (2007)

Trump is a super creative guy. From his majestic marble waterfall in Trump Tower to the flashing lights of his former casino, Trump Taj Mahal, he has always thought big. As a marketer it is your job to always see the bigger picture and to always think big in how you are gonna get your message out. Some people are scared to think big because they don’t want to be ridiculed but the only way you are going to get ahead is to take that risk. Being creative and thinking big is some great marketing tips.

4. Give Them Something To Write About  from The Art Of The Deal (1987)

“One thing I’ve learned about the press is that they’re always hungry for a good story, and the more sensational the better…The point is that if you are a little different, a little outrageous, or if you do things that are bold or controversial, the press is going to write about you.” – Donald Trump

One thing you business needs to know how to do is to feed the media. The media is a business too and they need stories to make money. The media loves press releases and press conferences because it gives them something to do. One key to managing the media is to always try and control the message. Trump ,back in the day, was rumored to have people say the Princess Diana was living in a Trump building, just so that the news would cover his building. They are not always going to give you the benefit of the doubt but press releases and conferences will direct the message your way. Get people talking about you by giving them a reason to.

5. “Brand Yourself and Toot Your Own Horn” from TRUMP , How To Get Rich (2004)

TRUMP Towers !TRUMP Taj Mahal ! TRUMP Plaza ! If there is one thing that Trump knows how to do , it is putting his name on everything. He made his brand associate with luxury, wealth, and the American dream. Did you know that the Trump Tower in New York City was originally going to be called the Tiffany Tower?? Yes, it’s true. Donald originally wanted to call it that , but then he had second thoughts. It’s his tower. Why not put his name on it? Your brand needs to associate with something and needs to be visible and everywhere so that everyone will know it. Be proud of your brand and share it with the world.

• Michael Jacobsen is a Digital Marketing Expert from Toronto. For more information or questions that you may have about this blog or Digital Marketing, please contact Michael at michaelbjacobsen@yahoo.com or on Twitter @marketing_mbj. 

Choosing Your Social Media Platforms

Here is a brief video I made in regards to dealing with selecting the right social media pages for your business. Enjoy !!!

3 Best Ways To Reach Out To A Social Influencer

By Michael Jacobsen ( Digital Marketing Expert from Toronto)

Everyone dreams about having a famous celebrity retweet or support their products. They can pay the celebrity to endorse their products but usually that costs alot of money. Over the past few years, I have helped companies achieve ultimate awareness by reaching out to social influencers. I have had pop stars, athletes, tv talkshow hosts , and comedians promote the product for free. If your social influencer can help you reach your target market, than you should go after them. Here are the three best ways to get a social influencer to promote you for free.

1.Tweet the B List

So many people want the top stars but very few of them will retweet you. Time to look up a few lower stars ( big name recognition but hasnt worked in awhile).Target the tweet in a way that is geared towards them. Make sure that they are tagged in the post and make it humorous. Also promote them and give them some love. B list stars have a decent following and also love when people talk about them.

2. Go After The Fan Base

The best way to get to that celeb is to tweet through his/her fan hashtags. I got a major popstar to like one of my tweets by using his fan clubs twitter hashtag. Do some research and see what happens. The more specific that hashtag is , the better.

3. Tackle the Trends

If that social influencer you want is really passionate about something, then tweet them about it. Celebrities love being part of the moment and if you tweet something that is going down now, then they may retweet.

Overall, social influencer are a great way for your brand to have tons of awareness. Social media is key when it comes to reaching out and you will need to promote the stars more than your business to get them to retweet or like your stuff. A social influencer can really help your business.

• Michael Jacobsen is a Digital Marketing Expert from Toronto. For more information or questions that you may have about this blog or Digital Marketing, please contact Michael at michaelbjacobsen@yahoo.com or on Twitter @marketing_mbj. 

5 Best Email Automation Systems

By Michael Jacobsen (Digital Marketing expert from Toronto)

Ecommerce is changing the way companies communicate with customers. It is no longer face to face but by email. Companies need to find a way to be efficient in this marketplace and need to be able to communicate to the masses and individuals effectively. Email Automation Systems have helped Ecommerce businesses develop way to communicate easier to their audience. Majority of marketers are using this great tool. According to eMarketer, 3 out of 4 British marketers use some type of Email Automation system[1]. Email Automation Systems are very popular and there are many different sites and system in play that can help you. Here are my Top 5 Best Email Automation Systems rated ( 1=The Best, 5=The Worst”)

Emma(http://myemma.com/email-marketing-services) Rating:5

Myemma.com has been around for the last 13 years[2]. It has offices located in Australia and the United States of America. It is a lesser known brand but still has some pretty big name clients (YMCA, Firehouse Subs)[3]. They seem to offer you a lot of back end support and as well offer lots of customization.  They advertise that their team will help your team in the goal to succeed[4]. They offer a variety of packages based on your business and the number of contacts[5]. Overall, not as much detail the other Automation Systems. They do offer a variety of package deals and they seem like they can help your business but their lack of going indepth with their services gives Emma a low ranking on my list. Decent tool just not the best on this list. They seem very local to the places they serve. Very supportive though.

SendInBlue(https://www.sendinblue.com/) Rating:4

SendInBlue markets themselves as being an Easy tool to use. They offer a variety of packages and support for your business. They offer emails, SMS, and IP plans [6]. The prices seem to be cheaper than Emma’s. SendInBlue started in 2012 and the fact that is relatively new but has risen quickly in the Automation world has given it this ranking[7]. A lot of businesses are using it. Higher than Emma because it seems more global. Also seems to have very little restrictions.

 

SharpSpring(http://sharpspring.com/) Rating:3

SharpSpring has two types of users in mind. Businesses and agencies[8]. SharpSpring offers different plans based on these types of users and as well pride themselves on being very intergrated with other softwares. SharpSpring is all built for doing conversions and although they may lack in simplicity. SharpSpring brings in tons of tools to generate leads and conversions[9]. Overall, a very good tool for conversion doesn’t look easy to use. That is why it is ranked number #3.

MailChimp (http://mailchimp.com/about/) Rating: 2

MailChimp has built itself to be the mecca of email automation. It has become the “it” place to go for Email Automation Systems. MailChimp started in 2001 and has been successfully been a big part of the automation game with over 12 million subscribers[10]. They have multiple plans that match your business needs. So even if your just starting off or have been in the industry for many year, MailChimp has a plan for you. They have strong customizable options for your site and also offer great indepth analytics and tools to connect to your other platforms[11]. They also have a mobile setup as well to help your company. Overall, MailChimp is number two based on it’s longevity in the market and it’s wide range of options.

Campaign Monitor(https://www.campaignmonitor.com/) Rating:1

If MailChimp is the mecca of automation, then Campaign Monitor is the cool younger brother of MailChimp. Campaign Monitor is drawing some of the biggest companies from around the globe to use it’s software. With it’s easy to build techniques and amazing tracking and analytics, Campaign Monitor is the best automation email tool for ecommerce[12]. Can go mobile and is easy to implement for software and devices. Companies such as Lacoste, Disney, and BMI music ( has artists like Taylor Swift) are all part of the Campaign Monitor family[13]. Offers different plans for different businesses and has customers big and small[14]. Overall that is why Campaign Monitor is given the number one ranking due to it’s ability to draw big name clients and also their global reach.

 

References

[1] http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Three-Four-UK-Marketers-Automate-Email-Campaigns/1014247

[2] http://myemma.com/

 

[3] http://myemma.com/customers

[4] http://myemma.com/email-marketing-services

[5] http://myemma.com/pricing

[6] https://www.sendinblue.com/pricing/

[7] https://www.sendinblue.com/about/

[8] http://sharpspring.com/

[9] http://sharpspring.com/features/

[10] http://mailchimp.com/about/

 

[11] http://mailchimp.com/features/

[12] https://www.campaignmonitor.com/

[13] https://www.campaignmonitor.com/customers/

[14] https://www.campaignmonitor.com/pricing/

5 Tips On How To Be A More Creative Marketer

By Michael Jacobsen ( Digital Marketing Expert From Toronto)

In today’s business world, a major problem that many marketers have is how to capture people’s attention to their products.  People do not seem to pay much attention to the traditional advertisements. This is primarily due to the oversaturation of the advertising market.  For example on a typical workday for many people they will hop on a bus or subway and see the many advertisements plastered about.  They get off and walk down the street, bombarded with even more advertisements. Advertisements are almost everywhere and as a result everything becomes a blur except for a few eye catching ones which stand out from the rest. Therefore it is necessary to be very creative and produce standout advertisements in this new age of marketing. However I should warn you that creating eye catching marketing is getting tougher and tougher with the advancements of technology, but I can provide you with 5 tips on how to become a more creative marketer.

 

TIP 1-Get Ridiculous

Have you ever noticed that some of your best ideas appear when you are relaxed and having fun? A few of the biggest companies in the world have implemented this strategy.  A perfect example is Google. This company has turned their buildings into giant playgrounds for adults with very long slides going between floors, ping pong tables, etc. Your company may not be able to accommodate all of the fun things that Google has but the essence of the fun, creative culture needs to be there. You should have relaxed, fun meetings allowing for the simple flow of ideas. People should be allowed to make jokes and throw out every idea, no matter how bad. You should be reminding yourself that structure does not breed creativity. Therefore escape from your usual structure and host your marketing meetings with the idea of having fun and being relaxed.

 

TIP 2-Build A Life Story For Your Brand

If you could pretend that your brand is a person, Who would it be?  A first glance you may think that this question is ridiculous but just think about it. If you answer this question and get a specific persona for your brand it will help you get a better understanding of how you are going to represent your brand to the public. You will be more creative and it will give your brand depth. Once you have established who that person is, you can have brainstorm sessions to determine potential traits for that person. For fun you could compare this imaginary person to a celebrity or add characteristics of a specific celebrity. Later you can build a life story for your person/brand. Doing all of this, will help your marketing people be more creative and in-depth.

 

TIP 3-Escape The Norm

It is important that you do not look at the past or present advertisements to help you create new ones. You do not want to just edit existing advertisements. You should think of your marketing like an original masterpiece of art. You should try to build something new. What is not out there?  Can your brand reflect a message that is not out there? Can it be controversial? Is it truly different? Difference is very good in branding because it catches attention quickly. You want something new and fresh that the media has never seen before. Think about what would shock you or catch your attention. However it is important to remember that the message represents your brand personality and targets your specific intended audience.

 

TIP 4-Turn Your Marketing Into Movie Making

You should think of your brand or marketing campaign as a movie. Who are your stars? What is the plot? How will your brand save the day? I think when companies start thinking of their products as Hollywood movie stories people get very excited and usually start coming up with amazing ideas for marketing.  This should help increase creativity greatly. One suggestion is to split up your marketing group at a meeting and tell each group to come up with a different story based on a movie plot of how your brand saves the day. Maybe your brand could even be a superhero.

 

TIP 5-Be Really Real

Now with this tip I will tell you something that is the complete opposite of what I have said before.  Some companies do not need a crazy imagination, as mentioned above, to be great marketers. In fact, in some cases, the opposite is true.  For some companies they need to start being creative with what is in front of them. Some of the best advertisements are the ones that say exactly what everyone is thinking. The company comes forward in their advertisement and say it. This is different because most companies hide behind an imaginative façade and sell their product through that. An excellent example of an advertisement where the commercial is saying exactly what everyone is thinking is the very realistic Buckley’s Cough Syrup. It probably took a bit of creativity to build this advertisement but overall it came from a very real place. Therefore you should also remember to be creative with what is around you. It may work wonders for you.

 

• Michael Jacobsen is a Digital Marketing Expert from Toronto. For more information or questions that you may have about this blog or Digital Marketing, please contact Michael for hiring or more at michaelbjacobsen@yahoo.com or on Twitter @marketing_mbj. 

 

 

Top 5 Ways Of Building A Passionate Consumer Base

By Michael Jacobsen ( Digital Marketing Expert From Toronto)

 (Image from Pixabay)

Sports teams seem to have some of the most passionate fans when it comes to consumers loving them and their businesses. Fans feel like the teams represent them. As a result, they buy into the teams’ products and follow their games religiously. I have had the great pleasure of working in the sports’ industry for about 3 years and I can definitely say that the relationship between the consumer/fan and the sport organization is an unique and interesting one.  I have found that fans are passionate consumers when it comes to their teams. The spending patterns/passion of these fans are generally not  seen outside of these sports’ areas with a few exceptions.  These exceptions include companies such as Apple, which has passionate fans around the world  lining up for many hours at an Apple store to be the first to buy a newly released product, and the highly successful Disney.Therefore, the big question is WHAT ARE THESE COMPANIES DOING TO GET SUCH A PASSIONATE COMSUMER BASE? Based on my observations here are the top 5 ways your company can build a passionate consumer base that will keep coming back to you and supporting you.

 

1. Build A Reason

The first thing you need to do is to know WHY YOUR BUSINESS EXISTS AND WHO IS IT FOR? You have to answer specifically the following questions: Who is my target audience? What do I want my brand to be and why? With this reason of why your business exists, you will have a better idea of who to promote to and how to sell reasons to the consumer to purchase your product. A few years ago, I worked for a sports team. During our first season, we determined that our major goal was to build a family friendly environment.  We offered cheap entertainment and an overall fun afternoon for the whole family. We were successful. Families became passionate fans. Therefore, if you are able to deliver on your reasons, then people will come and keep coming back.

 

2. Establish 2-Way Communication

Another way to become popular with your consumers is to offer multiple ways that they can communicate with you and you can communicate with them. Social media accounts are very popular for businesses nowadays. Your company definitely needs it and you need to provide one, which has  great and interesting content. You have to keep the consumers in mind at all times and you should provide them with fantastic secondary experiences for them to look at after they have left your store.

 

3. Build Into The Customer’s Life

One of the things that Disney has done extremely well is that they have become part of almost everyone’s life. Over many years, they have presented numerous stories and characters to children. As a result, when the children grow up, they have already been exposed to the Disney brand for almost their entire life. Almost every child on earth knows about Disney. They have created their way into our lives and culture.  Therefore, you should take lessons from Disney and you should build your brand into your audience’s life. Think long term. When I worked for a sport team, we made sure that we built our brand around family afternoon entertainment. We promised fun family activities throughout the afternoon at affordable prices.  It worked and we were successful.  We built our company around summer afternoon schedules of the families. Overall, you have to build a path for your audience to follow and make sure that they put you Into their schedules.

 

4. Treat Your Customers The Way You Want To Be Treated

To be successful, you have to make sure that the customers, that buy your products, are treated like gold. You want to maintain them at all costs. Each of these customers are your potential ambassadors for your company. In my experiences, I have seen many companies deliver terrible customer service. It should be extremely embarrassing to them but it is not.  You should be thinking that the way you treat your customers is the way that your customers will be treating you. I have seen unsuccessful businesses that only cared about short-term gain and did not think about longevity. All they cared about was the money and did not care about the treatment of their customers. These businesses were losing sales fast and management did not put in even simple efforts in working out their customer services. Therefore, it is extremely important to know that if your customers hate your business but your products are fine, then your main problem is probably the way that you deal with your customers.

 

5. Build An Experience

Based on my experiences I can tell you that people will not remember what you did for them, but they will remember how you made them feel. Disney is an amazing company when it comes to this. It offers millions of people the warm, fuzzy feeling of happiness and it makes many of us feel like a kid again.  Disney is a master at this product experience. Therefore your product needs to make people feel in a way good and secure. This experience will help keep customers loving your product and coming back for more. I worked for a company that we made sure that we built on the experience of having fun and enjoying a night out with the family. We made sure that staff were properly aware of providing this experience and that everyone played a role in creating it. We made sure that staff were always smiling and greeting customers . This made people enjoy themselves more and the friendliness of the staff helped build long-term bonds with the customers and the business. People came back because they liked the way they felt with our business. We built a successful experience for them and you have to do it too for your business.

 

Overall all of these are five of the top ways to build a loyal, engaging consumer base for your business.

• Michael Jacobsen is a Digital Marketing Expert from Toronto. For more information or questions that you may have about this blog or Digital Marketing, please contact Michael at michaelbjacobsen@yahoo.com or on Twitter @marketing_mbj. 

Top 5 Mistakes That Can Kill Your Startup

By Michael Jacobsen ( Digital Marketing Expert From Toronto)

During my career I have had the honour of working with several different startup companies. A few of them have gone on to become very successful.  However the majority of the startups that I have worked with in the past have failed miserably. As a result of that, my resume looks more like a graveyard of failures than a list of accomplishments. However I do not consider that my experience with these startups is like a barren graveyard because I have acquired invaluable knowledge from these failed companies on why they failed and have found that there are common factors. I have found that other companies’ failures can provide great lessons for newly forming startups to succeed.  This is very important because 99 % of startup businesses fail within the first year. Therefore if you know why they failed then perhaps you can better prepare your company to succeed. Based on my experience with failed startups here are the top 5 mistakes that can kill your startup:

 

1. STARTING OFF LARGE TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE YOU ARE IN CHARGE

The first mistake that I have seen many owners do repetitively is that they want to start off at the top, completely bypassing the growing curve. They want instant results and they want to get rich quick. They do not want to start small and work their way up. Instead they want to throw it all out and grow very quickly. One of the owners that I worked for threw a massive party at an expensive popular nightclub before his product was even officially launched. Half the people invited to this party were not even our target audience. Having a launching party at this popular nightclub would have been great for exposure with the right audience, but that audience was not there. The owner spent a lot of money just to show off and have a good time. But it was a waste of money for the company and it basically accomplished nothing.  I have also seen owners spend a great deal of money on a ridiculous amount of inventory, even though I knew that it would be nearly impossible to sell all of it in the first year. People need to learn that startups go through growth curves and you cannot rush it. You cannot start at the top of the curve.  You must be patient with it. Usually this starting off large and in charge strategy causes a great deal of expenses and cuts which results in failure.

 

2. NOT TRULY UNDERSTANDING YOUR AUDIENCE

This mistake is a major one. I have seen several owners literally create marketing campaigns based on what appeals to them alone with no considerations for an audience. It is extremely important to remember that your company is not about you. It is about the people you are selling to. The messages that you communicate must be the ones that these targeted audiences understand. I have worked with owners who have told me who the target audiences are and then they message the marketing in such a way that it goes against them. In addition, I have also worked with owners who want to target everyone. This strategy failed because they spread themselves too thin. Therefore it is important that before you do any marketing, you must decide and research who your customers will be. If you do not do this, you will fail.

3. BELIEVING YOUR PRODUCT IS THE BEST AND EVERYONE ELSE IS WRONG

In my experiences I have seen that many owners and business people fail to see the faults in their company. They are blind to them. Why? Well, many of them like to think that their company is the best and has no flaws. According to them it is perfectly designed. They put their egos into the business and refuse to think of any weaknesses. I once worked with an owner that claimed to be a business guru and that he always was a success. He taught business to other people and wrote several books about businesses for other people. This person literally listened to no one but himself. He was the self-proclaimed expert.  When the startup first started, people within the company and outside of it would tell him that he was doing something wrong with the company but he refused to listen. When the company was in its final failed stage, we all knew that the owner was wrong. Therefore it is very important that as an owner you must listen to others about your company and seriously look for weaknesses in your company. No company is perfect and yours is no exception.

4. HIRING CHEAP LABOUR

Because your company is a startup and money might be tight at the beginning, you may be considering hiring cheap labour or getting volunteers/interns to work for your company. Just remember the great quote by Red Adair that states, “If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.” This quote is very true. I have seen startup companies hire a large work force of cheap labour, instead of hiring one or two professionals. Unfortunately for these companies the scene became very ugly. Therefore it is very important to remember that if you want to make sure that you start your company off on the right foot get the right people for the job. Make sure that these people have the needed experience in the specific field that you want them to have and that they are not just interns or volunteers. Too many companies will go the volunteer route because it is much cheaper but in reality it does not help your business and will probably result in failure. Therefore you want to make sure that you hire at least one qualified experienced expert when you begin your startup.

5. NOT DOING YOUR HOMEWORK

Another extremely point for you to remember is that knowledge is power and power will help keep your business going.  An idea is great for a startup, but if you do not have any knowledge or information about what your business and environment will look like, you are just going to be throwing stuff around until it sticks. Not doing research prior to starting up your company will cost you a great deal of time and money, and will probably result in failure. I worked once with an owner who did not know the exact population of the city that he was going after in his target audience. He had overestimated it by several millions. I have also seen companies that have had unrealistic crazy projections on how their businesses were going to grow. Their numbers were based on best case scenarios without looking at worst case ones. Therefore if you want to succeed with your startup, you have to be realistic when doing your homework and do your research wisely.

 

Avoid these top 5 mistakes with your startup and you will have an excellent chance of being in the 1% group that succeeds.

• Michael Jacobsen is a Digital Marketing Expert from Toronto. For more information or questions that you may have about this blog or Digital Marketing, please contact Michael at michaelbjacobsen@yahoo.com or on Twitter @marketing_mbj. 

 

TOP 5 TIPS FOR BUILDING “Clickable” CONTENT

By Michael Jacobsen ( Digital Marketing Expert From Toronto)

Content Marketing is changing the way companies market themselves to their consumers. Blogging and content writing have become two of the most important skills in this digital era of marketing. In order to produce great blogs, one must be able to write well but also be an excellent storyteller and learn how to promote their articles, so they will be clicked on. These 5 tips will help your posts become more popular.

 

PUT THE AUDIENCE IN MIND

The very first step in anything is to think about what your consumers want. They are the ones that are going to read it. Are you a chef at a high end restaurant looking for new customers? Are you a financial investment firm looking for new clients? You really need to think about your end goal and how you are going to convert them from reading your blog to buying your product/service. With your audience in mind, you will be able to write content that they would want to read about. Just don’t write about yourself, present what you think your audience wants to know about you.

 

SHORT AND SWEET

If you are planning to write a 32 page essay on your newest window cleaning product, then you might want to go to University and write academia and books all day long. People nowadays don’t have enough time to really read 32 page or even 5 page reports. Think about reading a 5 page report on the bus. You are not going to do that and neither are your customers. Also, you got to remember that many people nowadays read content on their phone.

 

USE CATCHY IMAGES

One of the major factors on getting your content clicked on is, does it catch your eye. An interesting image that relates to the topic and can be used as a great header image that will grab a lot of attention. You want to make sure that the picture is great but simple. Try pixabay.com. They have tons of great free photos.

 

USE BOLD HEADLINES

Again this is all about grabbing the person’s attention. By having a title in ALL CAPS, it makes it seem bigger and can stick out more than other titles. Also keep your titles short and to the point. So instead of calling your piece of content : “ Michael Jacobsen’s Digital Marketing Top Tips When It Comes To Developing Clickable Content “, call it something like “Top 5 Tips On Developing Clickable Content”. See the difference ???

 

BUILD LISTS

Nowadays, one of the major trends in blogging is that many pieces of content are becoming lists of things. “THINGS TO DO, TOP PLACES” are just some examples of the lists we see today. People like lists because they are usually simple and they offer more variety. Lists also are usually more interesting to read than just regular content.

 

Overall , these tips will help you develop more “clickable” content for your site and your content marketing strategy. They have helped me reach thousands of people. Use them and people will click.

• Michael Jacobsen is a Digital Marketing Expert from Toronto. For more information or questions that you may have about this blog or Digital Marketing, please contact Michael at michaelbjacobsen@yahoo.com or on Twitter @marketing_mbj. 

 

 

 

Top 5 Tips On Increasing Your Twitter Followers

By Michael Jacobsen ( Digital Marketing Expert From Toronto)

The ultimate dream for almost everyone who is on Twitter is to have millions of followers and have their brand get a vast amount of engagements and traffic. These people want to have an audience that read their tweets faithfully and respond to them because that is basically the whole purpose of Twitter. Unfortunately for them, very few people get to achieve this ultimate dream of having many/high quality followers, unless you are Justin Bieber, Kim Kardashian, etc.  As an expert in digital marketing, I have been able to help companies increase their level of followers. I have helped companies nearly quadruple their digital audience and helped them to build a platform that is engaging for viewers. Building a following is not difficult but to do it well involves taking a few strategic moves to get the ball really moving for you. Here are five tips for increasing your Twitter followers:

 

Find Your Voice

The first step in building your Twitter followers is to really know who your target followers are going to be. WHO ARE YOU GOING AFTER? For example, are you going after sports fans, marketing experts, fashion enthusiasts or gossip lovers?? It certainly helps if you know who exactly you are going to target before you start tweeting. When you do, you can start building a voice for your company around your specific target. Remember that having multiple voices can confuse audiences and this can result in them turning away from you. Therefore it is important that you have a Twitter voice directed to a specific audience.

Jump On The Trend Train

Twitter loves hashtags! It is everywhere especially with current news dominating the trending topics. People are constantly sharing and looking for things with hashtags. With Twitter you want to make sure that the people who you want to find your content, can find your content. Therefore you have to use these hashtags to your advantage. You have to think about hashtags as categories. Specifically you should look continuously for relatable hashtags for your tweets and do not forget to research popular ones too.

Produce Shareable Content

One of the greatest things about Twitter is that people love to share information. They love to retweet content and put it up on their wall. Therefore you need to attract people’s attention by making sure that your content is very interesting and highly shareable. Highly shareable items are memes, GIFs, inspirational pictures and funny content. It is important to be authentic. Your tweets should follow your voice and you should keep people interested. Remember at no time should you beg for people to follow you, unless you are joking.

Follow People Who Follow Others Like You

The best places to find people who will probably like your tweets are found in places where others are already doing what you are planning to do. Therefore it is extremely important that you research your competitors and look specifically at their followers. If you follow just a few of them, it may peak the audience’s interests and lead to some follow backs. Follow as many valuable followers as you can. Research has shown that usually if you follow a group of people, then half of them will follow you back. You can always unfollow, once you get bigger.

Share, Share, Share

You do not always need to develop original, unique content for your tweets. You can share other people’s information in your industry. You can become an expert by becoming an information hub for certain types of subjects. You can tell others that you are an expert on finding certain shareable stuff. It is important that you keep on topic and try to find things you think your members will like. The more you share, the more people will follow. You should try to tweet at least 20x a day.

 

With these above mentioned tips, hard work and luck, you can bring in new content and opportunities for many new followers which allows you to reach for the ultimate dream.

• Michael Jacobsen is a Digital Marketing Expert from Toronto. For more information or questions that you may have about this blog or Digital Marketing, please contact Michael at michaelbjacobsen@yahoo.comor on Twitter @marketing_mbj.